1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to packaging, specifically to packaging sheet stock such as paper, fabric or plastic pages with a device for removing a single sheet and provisions for retaining the residue.
2. Description of Prior Art
Sheet material, such as paper letterheads, films, fabrics and filters, are frequently shipped in a stack enclosed by a box or envelope. A stacked page tends to adhere to its underlying sheet and become difficult to remove as a single unit. When the stacks are die-cut as a group a single sheet's removal is more difficult because the matching edges do not afford a grasping zone.
Forceps formed of molded plastic have been distributed to seize a single sheet but exhibit a tendency to fracture in their hinged zone after repeated usages. Molding thermoplastics requires expensive dies and injection machine times. Mechanically fed devices such as printers and photocopiers use rotating rollers to slide the top sheet toward an operational area. U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,268 (1995) to Cho will show a manual paper-loading device which uses electrically generated charges to effect adherence to the paper. U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,114 (1982) to Underdahl uses electrostatic charges on a plastic plate which matches the outlines of a specific filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,092 (1986) to English defines a plunger arm pivotally connected to the container's lid and directed by a moment arm to expel a filter with each opening of the lid. U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,165 (1978) to Leopoldi describes an overlying retainer hinge-mounted on a receptacle with a depending member pivotally mounted to engage a sheet. U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,726 (1978) to Pemberton also discloses a mechanically motivated lever. Each of these three requires molding, machining and assembly labor and each is dependent upon the continuing use of a container
U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,623 (1982) to Holopainen suggests a thread sinuously interwoven between filters and tabs extending from each margin a design which requires alternating placements of the sheets in the container. U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,840 (1986) to Brooks defines sequentially cut filters each having a connection to its successor and being alternately formed with concave and convex indentations to allow nested folding. The fan-folding requirement prevents economical die cutting of multiple layers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,744 (1987) to Sedlacek describes a similar connection between each filter and its successor but proposes to deliver them flat, rolled and indented for user fold lines. The imposition upon the user to tear and fold will challenge the convenience of usage and sanitary status of the filter.
Mr. Coffee.TM., a manufacturer of nested coffee filters, imprints instructions on its carton to finger riffle the stack to free the top sheet, a procedure which is unsanitary, inconvenient and not uniform in its delivery of single sheets.
My disclosed invention cleanly, conveniently and inexpensively provides a device to dislodge a single sheet from its stack. Also, no modification need by made to existent sheet cutting and shaping mechanisms as this invention will serve many die cut configurations. In addition, the supplemental extensions and cuts in the container's facets may readily be die cut and formed with modest variations to presently used die cutting tools. Alternatively, the same extensions may be cut and formed separately and affixed to the presently cut boxes by adhesives or staples.
The zones having high coefficients of friction may be imprinted or spray painted upon various surfaces using fluid latex. Such zones may be affixed with patches of thin latex or its equivalent material attached to the pawl by adhesives.
The primary embodiment of this invention holds a stack of filters, sheets or films in a sealed package which also encloses the dislodging instrument and minimizes contamination from the user's hands or ambient dust. Other embodiments allow the invented device to serve sheets from a stack without a container. Any of the described embodiments will expedite the counting of sheets. This invention provides a surface which may be advantageously used for instructions or advertisements.